Southwestern Caesar Dressing

While staying at the Enchantment Resort in Sedona, Arizona, I attended a cooking class at the spa restaurant Mii amo Café’( to lean more visit at http://www.miiamo.com/). There were only about 6 of us in the class so the presentation in the kitchen was very personal. The Chef prepared 4 recipes and plated a sample dish for each of us. The Chef was a marvelous instructor, the food fantastic, and by not using mayonnaise and eggs in the Soutwestern Caesar dressing it was quite light and healthy.

With the permission of Mii amo Café I am thrilled to be able to provide their take on Caesar salad dressing.

For a tortilla chip garnish for the salad: spray an oven pan with vegetable oil, cut soft taco shells into thin slices and place pan and slices in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes until golden.

That’s all there is to it. You have just made a Caesar dressing without eggs or mayonnaise. And the Southwest twist on the traditional dressing will be a crowd pleaser.

How you finish the salad is up to you. But for me, I would add to the tortilla strips some avocado slices, and for a one plate meal maybe grilled shrimp, or filet mignon slices, or strips of grilled skinless boneless chicken breast. I would recommend a little bit more of the dressing over the meat etc. for taste and looks.

I know you will love this recipe. Be sure to check back because, in upcoming blogs I will unleash the other two recipes that Mii amo Café authorized Easy Recipes and Stuff to publish.

and STUFF

Just so you know, neither Enchantment Resort nor Mii amo Café is a sponsor of this blog. The recipe and following story are featured in this blog because we use and love the resort.

There are places that seem magical to me. You know from past blogs that I love Hawaii. There is a feeling of peace I experience every time I set foot on one of the islands. Sedona has a similar special feeling. Some say there are energy sources in the red rock cliffs around Sedona. I don’t know if the energy sources have any medicinal effect, as I have been there many times and I am still short and balding. But I can assure you that Sedona and the surrounding area is special.

Once you get off Interstate Highway 17 and start driving up to Sedona, the beauty of the red rocks increase with each mile you travel until you are arrive in Sedona and the red rock vista surrounds you.

There are many fine resorts to stay at in Sedona. But, the one we always choose is Enchantment Resort. It is located out of town and borders on Boynton Canyon (for pictures and to lean more go to http:www.enchantmentresort.com/ ).

As you proceed down the road toward Enchantment Resort you may begin to question whether you took a wrong turn because all you see is beautiful high desert terrain and the red rock. However, you will eventually come to a turnoff and then a gate house.

On your drive to the main lodge you pass the Mii amo Spa and Resort, a fun little chip and putt golf course, and a state of the art tennis facility. After checking in, the bellman will drive you to your Casita.

There are amazing views in every direction as they drive you to your Casita. Once unpacked, and settled, the first thing you should do is open the sliding door to your private deck, and prepare yourself for a view that will just about knock you over. I cannot get enough of looking through the trees and up at the ever changing red cliffs. I have enjoyed having room service set up a gourmet dinner on the deck as the sun begins to set and the stars start to come out. The stars at night are unbelievable!

One night in mid July we ordered room service for a cheese and fruit platter, and a Southwestern Caesar salad. We sat on the deck and marveled at how as the sun began to go down, the lighting became more indirect and opened up new areas of the red cliffs not visible in the bright light of day. The tempo of the meal was perfectly relaxed and private, allowing for a glass or two of wine and quiet discussions. And then the stars came out. On this night, with just a hint of sunset remaining, while my wife went into the Casita to get something, and while I sat alone staring skyward, I caught a glimpse of what looked like a very bright planet moving across the sky quite rapidly. Just about at the point when the light should disappear over the horizon, there was a very large flash of light for a few seconds and just like that, it was gone. Sadly for me, I was alone when I saw the event.

I told my wife what I had seen, and she suggested perhaps I did not need to finish my glass of Cabernet. After describing again what I had seen, the only logical conclusion that I could come up with was I had seen the International Space Station pass over, and as it went passed the curvature of the Earth the solar panels flashed sun light for a moment.

My quick thinking and reasoned analysis bought me enough credibility with the “Mrs.” to allow me to finish my glass of “Cab” before retiring for the night.
Upon returning home after the vacation, I googled ISS visibility from earth, and yep, it can be seen from earth with the naked eye under the right conditions.

That is my story and I am sticking with it.

So, while enjoying your Southwestern Caesar salad, why not strike up a discussion about magical places you love to visit.